Safety cut-out



(No Model.)

0. OPPRELL. SAFETY GUT-OUT.

No. 508,629. Patented Nov, 14, 1893.

UNHED STATES PATENT Fries.

OLOF OFFRELL, OF MIDDLETOWVN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCHUYLERELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT,

SAFETY CUT-OUT.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 508,629, dated November14, 1893.

Application filed December 5, 1892. SerialNo. 454.204. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLOF OFFRELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Middletown,in the county of Middlesex and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in SafetyCut-Outs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ceiling cut-outs or safety-fuse boxes, whichafford a means of connecting a branch electric circuit with the supplymains. These boxes, or rosettes, as they are sometimes called,-are madeof some insulating material, like porcelain, and contain poles orcontact plates connected with the line wires by short lengths of fusiblewire, and afiording means for attaching the terminals of the branchwires leading to the lamp, or other translating device.

Heretofore the fuses and contact plates have been arranged inside of thebox, the smallness of which makes it awkward to get at the bindingscrews, and to attach the fuses to them. This is especially the casewhen it becomes necessary to renew a fuse, the box being usually on theceiling, or in some other inconvenient place, where it is difficult towork at it. My invention aims to avoid all these objections, and itconsists in a ceiling cut-out having the fuses mounted on the inner faceof a flat cover, so that they can be easily applied or renewed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan View of my improved ceilingcut-out. Fig. 2 is a plan of the inner or upper side of the cover. Fig.3 is a side view, partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of the boxwith the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a diametrical vertical section on line55, Fig. 1. I

The body A has one or more holes ath rough its bottom to receive thescrews which fasten it to the ceiling or other support. At two points,preferably diametrically opposite are two line wire clamping blocks B ofmetal, let into the body A and fastened by a screw b, or otherwise. Eachblock has a binding screw b for clamping the line wire, and a beadedstud or screw b standing out from a face b which is preferably flat andlies in the plane of the edge of the body A.

The cover C has a flat inner face 0 surrounded preferably by a rabbetedshoulder 0' adapted to rest against the edge of the body A. In thecenter of the coveris a hole 0 for the branch wires 1), the terminals ofwhich are connected as by binding screws e with the metallic plates Efastened upon the face 0 of the cover, as by screws 6'. The plates arepreferablylet into the cover, as shown. Two contact arms F are also letinto the cover, and fastened by screws f. The surface of these arms liesflush with the shoulder c and in these ends, which project beyond theedge of the cover, are cut concentric slots or notches f. The inner endof each arm F is provided with a binding screw f to hold one end of afuse G, the other end of which is similarly connected with one of theplates E. When the cover is put on the body A and given a turn, the armsF slide around until the slots f engage the studs b on the blocks B,whereby not only is the cover securely attached to the body A, but alsothe circuit is closed from the line wires through the branch wires.

It will be noticed that the-fuses and their contact plates are carriedon the cover, and that the cover is flat. This latter feature greatlyfacilitates the operation of inserting the fuses, since their. ends canbe quickly twisted around the projecting screws, there being no flangesor other portions of the cover to obstruct the movement of the wire inthe plane of the surface 0. It is evident that this advantage can beobtained by a convex instead of a flat surface, and I do not Wish to beunderstood as limiting my invention to a cover having a plane surface 0.Any surface which lies even with or above the plane of the outer edge ofthe cover, so as to afford unobstructed access thereto and permit thehand of the operator to swing freely in winding the fuse-wire around thebinding screws, falls within the spirit of my invention. When a fuse isto be renewed, the cover can be readily detached, and may be carried toa bench or other convenient place for working at it. These practicaladvantages render inyinvention of great value, and, in addition thereto,it is simple and cheap in construction, and neat in appearance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The combinationwith the body A, of the line contact blocks B, having the surfaces bplates E, and the arms F, substantially as dein the plane of the edge ofthe body, the cover scribed. 0, having the unobstructed inner surface 0,

and the shoulder c, the plates E let into the OIOF OFFRELL' 5 cover, thearms F attached to the cover and Witnesses: flush with the shoulder c,and having the EDWIN H. PARK,

slots f, and the fuses G connected with the WALTER W. LOVEGROVE.

